Ace Before Dark, The Origins of Dark Ace
by Shadow-StrikeRaven
Summary: This is the Story of Dark Aces childhood. How it began, how he joined the Storm Hawks and why he betrayed them. This story has a couple of theories in it that I am taking from my other current fanfiction... (Father and son? Really?... Yeah, Now I got your attention...) ON HAITUS
1. Chapter 1

A young man stared down at the spiralling figure hurtling towards the ground. The splash of red hair was still visible as it flashed in the failing sunlight, which to some may signify the failing of the only bright future in Atmos.  
His view was obstructed by the smoke and wreckage of the Condor as it hurtled past him, heading for the wastelands... an apt name for the final resting place of the Storm Hawks squadron, and the dreams of freedom they had so foolishly inspired in the minds of all who were desperate enough to follow them. Less apt perhaps, was their motto, 'The Sky is Never the Limit...' As if any one Sky Knight could hope to topple the Cyclonian Empire.  
As the sunlight finally fell beyond the horizon, and the remnants of the Storm Hawks final battle fluttered down past him, Dark Ace jumped into the seat of Lightning Strike's skyride and turned to face the blood coloured skies that encompassed Cyclonia, which was finally free to take over the remainder of Atmos. He threw a velocity crystal into the converter, eager to get back to his true home. Master Cyclonis was sure to reward him for his efforts...


	2. Chapter 2

The skynight stared down, at his lover and newborn son. His heart was wrenched in several direction and the one he had to take was the hardest of them all...  
Taren, the childs mother, stared up at him, different emotions flitting through her eyes as she decided between calling for security or listening to what he had to say. Maybe it was the way he stared at the child in her arms.. mayb it was that she still loved him, deep down... maybe it was the knowledge that if she called for help, people were going to get hurt or killed... whatever it was, she made the decision to see what had brought him back here, to the very place from which he had managed to escape.  
"What do you want Strike?" His eyes met hers, and she fought not to look awy. She needed to hear what he had to say...  
"Taren.. I... Im sorry. I never mean for any of this to happen..."  
"For what to happen? The whole undercover thing getting blown? Ruining my life? Having a child?" She felt tears pooling in her eyes, and blinked them away.  
"Yes and No... I knew my cover would be blow sooner or later... I just didnt intend to... to find you and... the baby..." He sighed. "Taren, I just came to say that Im... Im sorry... And that I was right. The different families have infiltrated the main structure of Terra Cyclone... They are planning to take over the Terra... Its not safe here... For you or the baby..."  
"His name is Ace... Ace Striker... And you came here to tell me that?"  
"No, I came here to ask you to come with me... You and the ba... You and Ace... We can keep you safe..."  
"What? You and your litte band of teenagers...?"  
"They have learnt... we all have... Please Taren? Its not safe here... I dont want you getting hur..."  
"Hurt? Too late for that Strike. I cant go with you... Im sorry. I cant leave my family..."  
"There is no time, Taren. They are planning to start the takeover tonight..."

As if to put emphasis on his words, a sudden burst of flames shot into the sky, close to the centre of the city. He looked a her, desperate.  
"Taren, I..." They were interrupted by a sharp face, covered in spiky black hair, poking in at the window.  
"I dont mean to interrupt boss," said Flint, "But we gotta go..." Another blast went off, nearer this time, "Like now!" Strike turned to Taren again, ready to grab her if need be, but instead he felt a warm bundle being thrust into his arms.  
"Strike. I cant leave... You know that... But take Ace... Please... Keep him safe..." She started to run out of the room. buckling on armour, But Strike grabbed her arm.  
"Taren, I..." She pulled him in and stopped his words with a quick but passionate kiss.  
"Take Ace... When this is over, I will meet you... I dont know where... But I will... Strike, please. Take him..."  
The red hair flicked to the side as he nodded, and she was gone before he could say good-bye. Getting a firmer grasp on Ace, he jumped on he skimmer behind Flint and they were in the Condor in a matter of moments. Handing the baby to Flint, he head over to his own ride and prepared to set out again.  
"Yo, Boss..." Flint was holding the baby at arms length, glaring at his Squad Leader, "Where are you going?"  
"I cant leave Taren down..." He was interrupted by another explosion, and looked back to see Taren's family's house exploding...

Strike felt arms hoding him back as he struggled to get to his ride.  
"Le'me go... shes in there... Taren!"  
"Strike... Shes gone..." A soft voice this time, "Taren's gone... Come on, we need to get out of here..."  
Looking back at the smouldering remains of the large buiding, he let Flint's sister, Crystal, lead him back into the Condors Hangar bay, letting tears fall freely down his cheeks and trying to hold in the strangled sobs as he muttered her name over and over. A few minutes later and he couldnt see past the smoke...

1 MONTH LATER

Strike felt a sharp pain in his chest as the young woman took Ace away from him. He longed to take him back, but knew that he couldnt look after the baby... Not with the life he led. He was giving him to a young couple to look after... Adoption, though he would regularly visit... If he could. When Ace was older, maye he could be a good father... But he coudn't... not with everything that had happened and what was happening... He had promised Taren that he would keep Ace safe... he couldn't do that on the condor... The baby's cries nearly changed his mind, but he turned himself around and forced himsef to look away. Walking out, he felt Crystal's hand on his shoulder.  
"It'll be fine, Strike. You made the right choice... It wouldnt be safe for Ace..."  
"I know Cryss..." he replied, using her nickname and trying to smile, "And we can always change things... Maybe when he's older... I dont know... He could..." He broke off and sighed. There was time later to think about things... about the future. All he wanted to do now was try to forget about the past and focus on the present...


	3. Chapter 3

Strike read the letter again.

"_Hey Pal,  
I'm just gonna get down to it. We can't keep Ace here any longer. He's too active, he needs to be somewhere where he can move and explore. Just like any 14 year old boy I guess, but he has a lot of you in him. You know, last week, he had an argument with one of his teachers. When they found him, he was huddled on the roof reading the latest about the Storm Hawks.  
He's a great kid, but I don't know how to handle him. No-one does. I love the kid like a son, but we both know he isn't, and I can't give him what he needs here.  
You know as well as I do that the Condor is the best place for him. Being with his 'Uncle Strike' is probably the best shot he has to get his life on track._

_Please write back soon. I need to hear from you._

_Jace"_

Strike sighed. His plan to keep Ace away from the Sky-Knight world had backfired and he knew he had no choice but to have Ace on the Condor. Jace was right…  
He looked up at the speaker as Dalia's voice echoed through it,  
"Coming up on Terra Atmosia… "  
Strike crumpled up the letter in his hand and let it fall, before turning and heading to the skimmer bay. He didn't notice the wind that blew the scrap of paper into the open doors, before it lodged itself beneath one of the corners in the console room.

He entered the hangar bay to find Crystal already waiting to go.  
"Come on, Strike! You may not be looking forward to this, but the rest of us are. Ace is definately gonna liven the place up…"  
"Yeah… But I don't know if he's…"  
"Ah, drop it. He spent three years I that Sky-Knight academy. Heck, he beat your percentage record. He kid's a natural born Sky-Knight… No that he knows why…"  
"And he can't. I can't tell him after 14 years of him thinking I'm his uncle. It would be too hard on him…"  
"But…"  
"That's an order Cryss. No-one is to tell him."  
"Yes sir…" Crystal put an emphasis on the last word, and gunned the engine of her ride, leaving Strike to sigh before running after her. They just… didn't get it.  
A few minutes later and they were within sight of Terra Atmosia.  
Strike landed and span to a stop just outside Jace's front door. Jace's wife, Karla, poked her head out and smiled.  
"Well, you made good time…"  
"Yeah… Flints been messing about with the Condor's engines… added some different crystals to the crystal array. She's now the fastest ship in the quadrant…"  
"Try the whole of Atmos…"

Strike's chest seemed to tighten at the sight of Ace, as it always did. The wiry 14 year old was lounging against the doorframe, his dark hair spilling messily over his face, and his expression was one of badly concealed surprise.  
"What are you doing here? Dad said you wouldn't be arriving for at least a couple of days…"  
"The council managed to get the Eagles to manage the border skirmishes…" Strike's chest had burned slightly as he heard the teenager say 'dad' but he knew he could only have it one way…  
"So…" he continued, "I hear you smashed my record at the academy…?"  
"Yup… Ninety-six Per cent…"  
"Damn… I'm never gonna live that down…" Strike grinned, and found that he was actually looking forward to giving Ace the news. "Karla? Did you tell him…"  
"No," she said, smiling, "I thought I'd let you do that…"  
"Tell me what?" Ace had pushed off from the doorframe, and stood with his arms crossed, casually leaning back on one foot.  
"That you… Hey, where's Jace?"  
"Hey! Come on, tell me." Ace was trying to hide his impatience, and Strike grinned at the way he rocked gently back and forwards, remembering that he used to do the exact same thing.  
"Well… I dunno… I think we should wait… For your… for Jace…" Strike was worried that Ace had heard the slip up, but he was far too interested in what Strike had to say.  
"Awww, come on."  
"Hmmm… Okay then… How would you like… for a small while anyway, seeing as I can't really be sure how…"  
"Come on! Stop avoiding the point…"  
"Fine. How would you like to live on the Condor?"

Ace seemed struck silent. He was still standing with his mouth open when Crystal turned up.  
"Ya know… I think that's the quietest I've ever seen him…" she grinned. "So…? What did he say?"  
"I don't know," Strike replied, with mock sincerity, "He hasn't answered so it may be a No…"  
"Are you joking?" Ace seemed to explode "Of course I want… I sure as hell… Hell yeah!"  
"Ace!" That was Karla, "Language…"  
"But I…" he didn't seem to be able to say anything, and instead ran forward and nearly shoved Strike to the floor as he hugged him.  
"I'll take that as a yes…" Strike grinned, and caught the smug 'I told you so look' in Crystals eyes.  
He rolled his eyes at her, and stepped away from Ace.  
"So…" he said to the still shocked teenager, "Wanna start packing?"

**Sorry for the REALLY REALLY REALLY long gap between this and the last update, but its been hectic so... yeah. Hopefully be able to update more regularly now, and hopefully at least once a week. Please review to let me know if you guys are liking it!**  
**Again, sorry for the delay *sheepish expression***


	4. Chapter 4

"Switch!"  
Strike leapt onto the wing of his Skimmer, and Ace leapt into the main seat. The kid had an uncanny knack for knowing just what to do and when, and, sure enough, the teenager pulled a hard left and Strike's weight sent the ride into a spin. Still racing forwards, Strike lashed out with his blade, catching the wings of three more rides before Ace levelled them out. He took a quick glance back, and saw the three rides tumble from the air, their riders hidden by their chutes.  
At a swift signal, the pair changed places again, and Strike grinned at the raven haired, smirking face.  
"Nice one. A little warning next time would be nice though…?"  
"Ah, you hung on just fine…"  
"But was the spinning really necessary?"  
Ace ducked a stream of light, and jumped to the body of the ride, sending a blast at the two fighters bearing down on them. The blast landed on target, clipping the wing joint on one of the rides, sending it careering into the other and causing the two Talons to crash heads before falling from their domed rides. By the time their chutes had opened, Ace was already back in his seat.  
"No… I guess the spinning wasn't necessary, but it was fun."  
"Fun?"  
Strike shook his head, smiling slightly. He wouldn't admit it, but the kid was right… Even the rest of his team had remarked upon his much more laid back attitude.  
And Ace had only been on the Condor a few months. He'd been surprised at the eagerness of his new team member, and downright shocked at his natural ability on a ride. Hence his decision to have a co-pilot. A decision he hadn't regretted in the slightest.  
Strike suddenly found his head being shoved down as a blast shot right over him. He looked up to see Ace, shaking his head, bewildered.  
"In Atmos's name, can't you wait till we're back on the Condor to daydream?"  
Strike found it mildly amusing to be lectured on safety by one of the most adrenalin seeking people he knew, but let it go. Ace was right after all…  
It only took a few more minutes to clear the skies and they head back to the Condor.

As Ace jumped down from the ride, Flint jogged over and slapped him on the back.  
"Nice work. Two down with one blast? Impressive. Oh, and nice spin by the way. How did the big boss react to that?"  
"The usual. The '_That's a bad idea… But I secretly loved every moment' _Look."  
"Of course. Wouldn't expect anything else…"  
"Oi!" Strike dismounted and raised an eyebrow. "Big boss can hear you, you know…"  
He ruffled Ace's hair, and the teenager scowled, running a hand through it to get it back to its usual messy state.  
"And the kid's right. It was fun…"  
Ace's scowl deepened,  
"The kid has a name…"  
"Not my fault that the kid is easily irritated…" Strike said, smiling at the glare directed at him. The Ace grinned,  
"Yeah. And I guess it's not your fault that you're getting forgetful in your old age…"  
He ducked the swipe that Strike aimed at him, laughing, and Flint gave him a high-five. The guy may be only a couple of years younger than Strike, but there was no doubt he was the closest to him.  
Not that Strike minded…  
The two head off, to the kitchen, and Strike let a sigh escape him. Whatever he constantly said to crystal, he did want to be a father to the unruly teen… But he just… couldn't.  
Shaking the thoughts from his head, the sky-knight head off to the Console room.  
Crystal was there, but Jethro had left a steady course for the Condor and had head off to grab something to eat. As Strike got closer he could see, when Crystal looked up, that she had news. Bad News.  
"What is it? More about Master Cyclonis?"  
"No… At least nothing more than the rumours that his consort is expecting a baby… his baby…"  
"Yeah… But that's just a rumour as far as anyone can tell. Anything new from the Eagles or the Interceptors?"  
"That's… that's what I just got a message about. The Raptors have turned to Cyclonis… And the first test of their… _Loyalty_… is to take out the Interceptors… They're under attack now. Repton himself is leading the attack… The Interceptors are calling for assistance…"  
"Have we charted a course?"  
"Yes… But I don't know if we can get there in time… Keera tagged a personal message onto you."  
"Play it…"

Crystal nodded, and played the message. Then voice of one of Strike's oldest friends echoed throughout the room, nearly obscured by the sound of blaster fire in the background.  
_"Strike… We just got word. Sana and his daughter Ravess have fully pledged their allegiance to Cyclonia, and have arrived to support the Raptors… The Eagles just arrived here but…"  
_Her voice cut out for a moment, as a huge explosion drowned out her voice. Then it was back, as fast paced as before, but with an added depth of desperation.  
_"… Starling… Carver has taken her to the fringes, and her brother is with her. They're both injured Strike. I need a favour… take them to Atmosia… Put them somewhere safe. Starling won't like it, but that's just… tough luck. I know I can count on you, Strike…"_  
Faint screams echoed in the background of the message, and Keera's voice sped up, so much that Strike really had to strain to make out the words.  
_"They've breached the compound. I know I can count on you to keep Starling safe, Ace. By the time you hear this; the base will have been taken. I'm sorry. We did all we could… Goodbye Old Friend, and stay safe. Interceptors out…"_  
The message was static for a few moments, then went dead.  
Ace's knuckles were white from where he was gripping the edge of the table.

He didn't realise he had sat down until his fit thumped down on the table. He thought back to the last time he had seen Keera, and smiled faintly at the memory.  
It had been about two months ago, three weeks after Ace had joined them and three days before Cyclonia had declared an all-out war on the Atmos. He, Keera, Carver and several of the other sky nights had met up for a catch-up. They so rarely got the chance any longer…  
The night had ended when their squadrons had taken it in turns to drag them off, a couple of them slightly tipsy from their drinks and most of the other laughing too hard to notice.  
Strike had left just before Keera, and blinked away the tears that threatened. One of his oldest friends had been… brought down by Cyclonia. He couldn't bear to think of any other words that he could have used there…  
As a sky night, it was his solemn duty to avenge them. As a friend, he could do nothing less. They would pay for this…

He turned to see Flint and Ace stood in the doorway, faces full of disbelief, which were swiftly buried by determination. Strike sighed, unclenching his fist.  
"You heard?"  
Flint spoke up.  
"Sorry for listening in, Boss… Didn't have much of a choice…"  
"When do we leave?" Ace had all but stepped forward as he said that, anger bristling within him. Strike remembered that he and Starling's brother, Dane, had become good friends.  
"_You_ don't. Me, Flint and Crystal will handle this one."  
"No way! You can't just…"  
"I mean it Ace. That was an order. Not a request."  
Ace looked about to argue, but closed his mouth. He nodded, face blank but eyes full of determination. A deep-seated worry settled itself in the sky knights stomach. That look was the last thing he remembered seeing in Taren's eyes. He truly was Taren's son…  
That was not the only thing that had Strike worried. He and Ace were, also, too much alike. The teenager was planning something.  
Flint seemed to have had the same idea, and looked at the black haired, blank faced teenager stood next to him. As he saw the determined look in the boy's eyes, he was reminded of Taren… No wonder Strike looked so worried. Resolving to keep an eye on his young friend, Flint shared a glance with Strike, nodding at the question in his eyes.  
"I'm in, Boss. I'll check in with the Eagles."  
Crystal spoke up, as distraught about the Interceptors as Strike. Keera's second, Harley, had been one of her best friends since they first met… Like hell was she going to let Cyclonis get away with this.  
"I'll double check the rides. We can be ready to go as soon as we reach the Terra…"  
Strike nodded, and the two left. Turning, he realised that Ace had slipped away too, and cursed. That kid was going to be the death of him…  
Jethro ran in, and slid to a halt in front of the console.  
"Heard the conversation over the speaker. Head straight up… We're still twenty minutes from Terra Inertia…"  
"Do we have any velocity crystals?"  
"I'm not…"  
"Check!" Ace ran in, and tossed a blue and green crystal to Jay, as they called him, and he plucked it from the air, throwing it into the crystal converter. Flipping the switch for the speakers, he gave the others a quick warning.  
"Guys! We're going velocity!"  
He gave them a few seconds to secure themselves, and threw the Condor into a velocity fuelled flight.  
_

**Wow….. I am Soooo sorry for the delay in updating. I had the worst case of writers block!  
*face-palm followed by head-desk then rubs head realising the stupidity of doing that*  
I know I haven't put in any detail about Ace's time on the Condor, but fear not, there is a reason for that… When I sat down, I kinda let my muse take over, and I had no idea the story would take this direction, but I know where I'm going with it, and Will be updating as soon as I can :D  
I have to try and make up for the delay, Haven't I?  
Thanks to RailGirl1 for giving me the kick I needed to actually sit down and stay sat till something came to me. I really hope this was worth the wait, and thanks to all of you guys for your patience!  
*hugs to all***

**Sooo, Till next time,  
Raven out **


End file.
